Production of ribbed knitted fabrics



Dec. 29, 1931. T. H. JONES 1,333,683

PRODUCTION OF RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS Filed May'13, 1929 v 2 Sheets-Sheet1 JAM 7%? W,

Dec. 29, 1931. T. H. JONES PRODUCTION OF RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS FiledMay 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N i/ENTOR THOMAS HENR Y JONES B Y m /-7TTORNE Y5 I the speed of I and Patented Dec. 29, 1931UNETEDSTATES-PATENT, OF C THOMAS HENRY, JoN ns, or woonrHonrE, ENGLANDrnonuorroN on RIBBED KNITTED FABRICS Application filed May 13, 1929,SerialNo. 362,707, and in Great Britain May 21, 1928.

This invention comprises improvements in the production of ribbedknitted fabrics and has particular reference to an improved means forproducing composite ribbed fabrics of the type having opposed needlewales comprising two superimposed-i ribbed Webs joined by their crossedsinker wales."

The main object ofthe present'invention is to provide means forproducinga firmer or stiffer fabric of the typeset forth above and onewhich is more uniform or symmetrical in construction than fabrics of thesame type as heretofore produced.

Another object of the invention is to furnish means whereby the frictionand chafing on yarn during the knitting of a fabric of the above type isconsiderably reduced, thereby permitting the employment of comparativelyweak or inferior yarns'and enabling production to be increased; While afurther object is to enable'a fabric to be produced of particularly.fine or close gauge. A composite ribbed fabric of the type set forthabove is produced on a machine having two sets of needles adapted todraw their loops in opposite directions, but, Whereas in r a machine forproducing ordinary ribbed fabrics the needles of one set are positionedalternately with the needles of the other set, in a machine forproducing the said composite fabric the one set of needles is positioneddirectly opposite the other set. y

In the production of the composite fabri a thread is fed to the oddneedles of one set and the even needles of the other set by one feederand such needles knit to produce one of theribbed webs. fed to the evenneedles of the first-mentioned set and the odd needles of the second setby another feeder, and the said needles of the second sequence then knitto produce the other ribbed web. The two Webs constituting the compositeribbed fabric are superimposed and joined by the threads constitutingtheir sinker wales, which threads in being laidacross the differentneedles'of both sets, are caused to cross each other.

In the present invention, however,'instead of the thread being fed toand simultaneously drawn in opposite directions by the alternate Theother threadis then needles of both sets in the production of each ofthe superimposed ribbed Webs, as hitherto, the knitted loops arecompletely formed on the alternate needles of oneset prior to thecommencement of loops on the co-acting alternate needles of the otherset.-

named set from thread which has already been drawn across sinker,elements operating between the coacting alternate needlesof the firstnamed set i. e. the needles on which the knitted loops are first formed.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this inventionreference will now'be made to the accompanying drawings in which areillustrated in Figs. numbered successively 1 to 6, six successive stepsin the method of producing each of the superimposed ribbed webs of thecomposite ribbed fabric, in accordance with this invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View illustrating theknitting needles and the cooperating sinkers in their relation to eachother and their respective mountings.

' Figure'8 is a fragmentary plan View of the parts illustrated in'Figure "7. 1

In one method ofcarrying out the invention a circularknitting machineis'employed with a cylinder 5 and a dial 6 fitted with latch needleswhich are reciprocated verticallyand radially respectivelyby suitablydisposed cams fitted in races concentric with the said cylinder anddial, the cylinder needlesbeing positioned directly opposite the dialneedles.-

' An additionaltricked ring 7 is mounted concentrically with thecylinder at its upper part containing a circular series of sinkers orblades'and having assoclatedtherewlth suitably arranged and designedcams operating to move said sinkers into and out of a positionbetween'the cylinder needles; The

sinkers are disposed opposite to and in radial alignment with the dialneedles, and so positioned that" said dial needles may lie just beneaththemiwhen said needles are protruded.

The nature and construction of the above mentioned needle-supportingdial andcylinder, thevneedle-operatlng cams and thesinkthe formation ofknitted A-dvantageously the loops are formed on the alternate needles ofthesecond er-supporting ring and the sinker-operating cams, which forpurposes of clarity have been omitted from the drawings, Wlll be readilyappreciated since they are common in the art.

The sequence of operation in the production of the fabric is as followslVhen the odd cylinder needles 1 are raised to a position for takingthread, the even dial needles 2 are retained withdrawn with the lastformed loops within their hooks, and the even sinkers 3 opposed to saidwithdrawn dial needles 2 are protruded towards said dial needles to aposition wherein their tongues or forward ends 3a project between theupstanding cylinder needles 1 beyond the hooks thereof and beneath thefeeding thread 4.

The odd cylinder needles 1 with newly laid thread 4 in their hooks asshown in Figure 1 are now lowered to form loops, and in doing so, theconnecting bars of thread 4 between said loops are drawn across theprotruded stationary sinker tongues 3a which thus provide the requiredresistance for loop formation and separation. In Figure 2 an odd needle1 is shown partly lowered and the latch closed to permit the casting offof the last formed loop, while Figure 3 shows this loop knocked over andthe new thread bar 4 drawn over the sinker tongue 3a.

The odd cylinder needles, having formed and knocked over their loops,are retained lowered and the even dial needles 2 are protruded untiltheir books reach a position below the forwardly projected extremitiesof the even sinkers 3 when said even sinkers are withdrawn and in sodoing the bar of thread 4 which has been left thereon by the oddcylinder needles 1 is deposited upon and within the open hook of theco-acting even dial needle 2, as shown in Figure 4. The even dialneedles are then retracted to the position shown in Figure 5 to formknitted loops which are knocked over.

The above sequence of operations results in the production of one of thesuperimposed ribbed webs which constitute the composite fabric and theother web is produced and the fabric completed by feeding another thread4 to the even cylinder needles 1, causing the said needles to draw theirstitches, subsequently causing the odd sinkers to transfer the loopsthereon to the odd dial needles 2 and causing the said odd dial needlesto knit, all as previously described in connection with the firstsequence of odd cylinder needles and even dial needles.

Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings it will be understood that theringed numbers 1 to 6 indicated, in plan, the positions of the oddneedles and sinkers when in the positions corresponding to thoserepresented in Figures 1 to 6 respectively; and that the ringed numbers1 to 6 indicate the positions of alternate, or even, needles andsinkers. The change from one combination of needles and sinkers to thealternate combination takes place at the position marked XX. It is to beunderstood also that both needles and sinkers are provided with butts bywhich they may be operated in the usual manner. The butts on one set ofsinkers, causing them to perform the operations already described whenreferring to Figures 1 to 6 and as indi cated at the left hand portionof Figure 8, traverse a cam track or groove 3 in the sinker dial; whilethe butts of the alternate, or even, sinkers traverse the cam groove ortrack The butts of the odd dial needles, operating as shown at the lefthand portion of Figure 8, traverse the cam groove 2 in the needle dial6; and while the butts of the alternate set of dial needles, operatingas indicated at the right hand side of Figure 8, traverse in the camgroove 20.

The cam grooves or tracks for operating the respective sets ofcylindrical needles are not shown. This is thought not to be necessaryas the operation of these needles would be understood from aconsideration of Figures 1 to 6 inclusive taken in connection with thedescription thereof.

t is to be understood that the sequence of operations may be varied. Forexample the dial needles may first form loops and the formation of thecylinder needle loops be delayed. Alternatively the thread may be laidin one set of needles without first clearing the loops therein, suchclearance taking place after the first set of loops is completed.

In the particular sequence of operations above described with referenceto the drawings a small subsidiary motion may be desirable in order toproject the dial needles 2 forward sufliciently to open their latchesprior to being moved under the sinkers 3 to receive the thread bars 4therefrom. This subsidiary motion may readily be obtained by suitablyshaping the dial needle-operating cams, which, as previously stated, areof the customary type.

If desired the thread fed to the needles may be received within a throatportion of the sinkers, such thread being carried forward by a forwardmotion of the sinkers around the shanks or stems of the cylinder needlesbeneath their hooks, the downward motion of the cylinder needles drawingthe thread across the sinker tongues as beforedescribed.

By the method of operation above described it is possible to producefabric of a finer gauge than by the usual arrangements, it beingunderstood that the needles do not require to pass between each other,and the sinkers which are used only between one set of needles may berelatively very thin at their forward parts which are projected betweenthe cylinder needles and relatively thick at the rear parts which takethe cam thrust.

.It will be appreciated therefore that the needles can be disposedcloser together than is possible where one set of needles is required tobe projected between the other set.

When producing ribbed fabric having opposed needle Wales and opposedsinker wales, the dial and cylinder needles, instead of being arrangedalternately as in machines for producing ordinary ribbed fabric, aredisposed opposite to each other, and in the application of the presentinvention to this type of machine alternate sinkers corresponding withalternate dial needles are first operated in the manner previouslydescribed, after which the remaining alternate sinkers correspondingwith the remaining dial needles are operated, it being of courseunderstood that the cylinder needles are also operated alternately topermit of the operation of the sink,

ers.

The present invention is also applicable to flat or straight barknitting machines and to machines employing bearded or spring needles.

I claim v t 1. In a machine for the production of ribbed knittedfabrics, threadfeeding means, a needle cylinder, needles reciprocatingthere'- in, a dial, needles reciprocating in said dial,

the dial needles being disposed opposite to i. e. in radialalignmentwith the cylinder needles, a tricked ring at the upper end ofthe needle cylinder, sinkers slidably mounted in said ring, andpositioned in a radial alignment with said dial needles, means wherebyalternate cylinder needles are first operated to form knitted loopsthereon and subsequent ly alternate dial needles operated to formknitted loops from thread received from alternate sinkers, the remainingalternate cyl inder needles and dial needles being subsequentlysuccessively operated to form knitted loops in a like manner.

2. In a machine for the production of ribbed knitted fabrics, threadfeeding means, two sets of needles, means for causing the two sets ofneedles to draw their loops in opposite directions, the needles ofone'set being positioned directly opposite the needles of. the otherset, sinkers slidably mounted opposite,

the needles of one set, means whereby alternate needles of one set arefirst operated to form knitted loops thereon and subsequently alternateneedles of the second set are operated to form knitted loops from threadreceived from alternate sinkers, the remaining alternate needles of thefirst set and the remaining alternate needles of the second set beingsubsequently successively operated to form knitted loops in a likemanner.

THOMAS HENRY JONES;

